[5E] The Temple of Elemental Evil (IC)

[tieren]

"I don't know anything about a theft. Lareth contacts us, sends us on patrol, tells us not to return until night fall. 'The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing' to borrow a phrase. One of my boys was scouting the village that night, I was patrolling the southern road."

Why did you have a man scouting the village? Were you or Lareth planning some sort of raid? Do you know if Lareth has plans for this town?

[jmbrown]

Why did you have a man scouting the village? Were you or Lareth planning some sort of raid? Do you know if Lareth has plans for this town?

Gregyr grins wide. "Because I spy on Lareth. His aide frequents the tavern. My boy saw him rushing in on horseback from the foothills about thirty minutes before you guys arrived and stirred up a whole pot of dung."

"But let's change the subject. Lareth plans on finishing what was started here 10 years ago. He's amassing an army, undermining your operations, and will take whatever he can and kill anyone that gets in his way."

He smacks his lips. "Now I'm thirsty and hungry."

[Syldar]

.......well. I believe we have all the information we need from you. Good day. The smallest hint of shock can be heard in his normally deadpan tone. He leaves the room to notify Burns and Rufus.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Insight roll, through the whole thing.
(1d20+4)[7]
Edit: Really? Really?
EDIT AGAIN: I really should look over the posts again before saying something. You saw nothing of the original.

[jmbrown]

"Well?" asks Burne. "Who is this Lareth? How dangerous is he? Why was Gregyr at the moathouse? Where is our shipment?"

[Syldar]

He doesn't know anything about the shipment or why, exactly, he needed to guard the moathouse. As for Lareth, though, he's a cleric who plans on "finishing what was started ten years ago." He's apparently amassing an army and sabatoging you. Gregyr is simply one of likely many pawns.

[tieren]

He did say Lareth's employs monstrous brigands,no offense Gretro, that come to the moathouse, and that Lareth's sent his group on patrol the night of the theft so it's possible others took the goods to the moathouse.

He also said Lareth's has an agent that frequents the tavern here and that agent rode into town from the direction of the foothills about half an hour before our arrival.

[tieren]

I propose a return expedition to the moathouse to look deeper for these monstrous brigands.

[jmbrown]

"So here's what we know..."

Burne outlines everything he and Rufus confirmed from their own investigation and the interrogation.

-Lareth is raising an army, stealing supplies to arm himself
-Lareth communicates with someone who frequents the town
-Lareth is hiding within or near the moathouse
-The key to finding Lareth is through the spy

"Yesterday I requested more supplies from Verbobonc. The way this normally works is that we send exhausted workers back home to pick up fresh workers. This time we're setting up a honeypot. There will be plainclothes soldiers escorting the cart, my best Badgers. Rufus and I will be there personally to fend off any attack. You guys will hide in the hills near town to identify the spy. They'll use the hills for cover and grow suspicious if we post armed guards around the area. You have a week before the cart arrives. Get some training, sharpen your swords, and be ready when the time comes."

----

Some downtime for writing spells, training, and shopping.

Geod can confide in Elmo as a ranger. Despite his outward appearance the man is sharp with a bow and a proficient woodsman. He dodges any questions about his profession with raunchy joke in his usual slurred, slow speech but the man was likely ranged by an expert ranger.

Aldia finds Burne to be an eccentric instructor. He's quite young for an adventuring wizard, late 20s at most, and can't keep quite for longer than ten minutes. He offers the first spell from his book at normal price then demands a 20% markup for anything else. "For the Badgers, of course," he says.

As Larz discovers the latent powers coursing through his blood the druid invites him directly to his cottage. He introduces himself as Jaroo and offers spiritual guidance, leading meditation groups every morning and evening which at least half the town attends at various times. The "beautiful man" shows up twice during the week to debate with the druid who takes great delight in intellectual activities. The conversations always veer into the macabre focused on morality, mortal's place in the cosmos, and "final death."

Gretro and Aris find no monks or rogues in the town, at least none that reveal themselves, but find good company among the Badgers who set up a combat obstacle course in the unfinished castl. By the week's end Gregyr and his brigands have been released with hard labor which they find much more agreeable than rotting in a cell on gruel and water.

-------

The day has come. Rufus and Burne, wearing farmer's tunics, gather the party. A familiar hawk swoops in delivering a letter to Rufus. "Good, our agent spotted where the thieves are holed up in the foothills. They'll be performing a similar attack through the woods then escape to the moathouse. A horse is waiting for the spy who'll double back to town. We've got a good vantage point for you but you'll be on foot to avoid being spotted.

Engage with the spy at your own risk. If you can take him safely on the road all the better. If we confront him in town there might be collateral damage. If you follow him back to the moathouse that's the safest but it's just one more villain to deal with. Alright, good luck out there."

[Syldar]

Preparations

Aldia would rather not buy any scrolls right now. At some point, he casts the find familiar ritual (expending 10 gp of materials.) The familiar is a "celestial" raven.

The Day of the Plan

Aldia stands watch, keeping an eye out for the bandits and/or the spy.

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Gretro does much of the same: He keeps an eye out.

[tieren]

Spoiler: Question

Show

Even though it syas we're on foot to avoid being spotted can I ride my dog mount since it is only medium sized anyway?

Larz helps the others vigilantly watch for the spy.

[jmbrown]

Larz can ride his mount. Burne and Rufus just don't supply horses for this.

----

The party is set up on a ridge overlooking an area near where the first ambush occurred a week back. A pack of horses are tied up in a low valley signaling that a group of humanoid riders must be nearby. Beyond the woods a flash of sparks and fire shoots up into the sky. Half an hour later a pack of humans, bugbears, and gnolls run out of the woods wounded and shocked. Barreling from the woods nearly knocking down a tree as it runs is an ogre nearly nine feet tall and half as wide. Ogres are rare beyond the hills to the west but this one is particularly larger than its kin.

The group, numbering twelve plus the ogre, make off towards to the east. One humanoid remaining motions as if casting a spell. Its features twist and warp into the form of a cloaked traveler. It mounts a horse and makes a beeline towards Hommlet, passing near the hill where you're hiding. The person doesn't even look in your direction.

[tieren]

Larz uses minor illusion to make the sound of a panther growl/roar right in front of the horse in an attempt to spook the horse into bucking and throwing the rider.

I'll try to spook the horse, be ready to move out.

[Syldar]

Aldia tries to see the altered features of the hooded figure.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+4)[19]

If he can't, he sends his raven flying upwards, to see if it can recognize his face. He sits down in a meditative position, looking through the raven's eyes.

[jmbrown]

The horse bucks, nearly throwing off the rider. He bolts, mushing his horse towards town at full speed.

Aldia sees through the magical disguise. The man is someone he recognized here and there about town, but never introduced.

He continues riding hard finally reaching the hill where the party is hiding 60 feet up a gentle slope.

[tieren]

Larz will ride down to meet him and strike him with his staff.

Spoiler: Mounted Combat

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I am presuming using a controlled mount my dog can take the dash, disengage, or dodge actions on my initiative without using up my action (my understanding of the rule).

So my mount is moving 40' then dashing another 40' (only 20' of which needed to close the distance) then I am using my action to attack the rider with my staff.

Initiative (1d20+1)[10]

Attack roll (1d20+3)[7]
Dmg (1d6+1)[2]
crit (1d6)[4]

[Syldar]

Aldia stands whispers under his breath as his staff glows blue. Frysta...

Spoiler: Action

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Using my shiny new frostbite cantrip.
(1d6)[2]

[jmbrown]

The rider shakes off Aldia's cold while ducking low to avoid Larz. The rider concentrates, gestating wildly. He fades from sight completely.

The horse, untrained to handle combat, dashes 120' away from Larz who may attack either the horse directly or where the rider used to be.

[tieren]

As the horse begins to dash out of his reach, Larz takes the opportunity to attack the animals legs in hopes of tripping it, (and with the intent to heal the poor thing thereafter )

Spoiler: attack roll v. horse

Show

(1d20+3)[10]
(1d6+1)[7]
Smite if hit (2d8)[7]

[Syldar]

Aldia follows as fast as possible, knowing that he can't attack from this distance.

Spoiler: Actions

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Dash action, follow him.

[jmbrown]

The horse tumbles head over heels into the dirt. There's an unmistakable trail as something unseen stumbles through the underbrush. Aldia, Aris, and Geod make it within 30' of the fallen animal while Gretro scans the field with his bow.

[Syldar]

Fitu. Aldia's staff gains a greenish glow as he points it at where the invisible creature seems to be.

Spoiler: Actions

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Moving in range and casting Grease in hopes of stopping his flight. (1d20+4)[13] perception, if needed.

[jmbrown]

A humanoid shape slips and falls. Any attacks against it will be at disadvantage.

[tieren]

Larz rides his mount around the grease until he is in the riders original direction of travel, then waits to see if he can tell when he may pass by, readying an attack with his staff if he can (hoping hell leave tracks in the grease or something )

[Syldar]

Aldia approaches his grease spell, keeping an eye out for any sign of the invisible figure.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+4)[21]

[jmbrown]

Aldia motions to Larz where the invisible figure creeps through the bushes. He's deliberately moving slowly but given his zigzagging pattern doesn't seem aware that he's being tracked. A direct attack would still be at disadvantage.

[tieren]

Larz attempts to strike the invisible target with his staff

Spoiler: Attack roll (disadvantage)

Show

(1d20+3)[19]
(1d20+3)[5]
dmg (1d6+1)[3]

Then says, We don't want to kill you,
we just want to talk to you about your boss. My dog has your scent now, you won't be able to hide forever, lets do this the easy way.